


Battle Scars

by yourdilemma



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Comfort, Depression, Gen, Hurt, Oneshot, Self-Harm, family love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-04
Updated: 2017-01-04
Packaged: 2018-09-14 15:30:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9189461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yourdilemma/pseuds/yourdilemma
Summary: Dan has a daughter fighting the same demons of his past. They work together to help her face her problems.





	

Dan holds his daughter in his arms. He had looked at her scars, let her tears flow freely. He understands what she is feeling. He’d felt like that for so long.

“Annabelle...Annie…” he murmurs as she sniffles loudly.

“I can’t take it anymore, Dad! The pressure...the future...the expectations…!” She breaks down, her body wracking with sobs. He pulls her in tighter, closer. She’s so big yet so small...he would do absolutely anything for her.

As soon as she’s calmed down some, he gently nudges her off of his lap and lets her fall onto the sofa. “Annie...I understand what you’re going through,” Dan says quietly.

“H-how could y-you p-possibly know?”

Wordlessly, he pushes up his sleeves and Annabelle sucks in a great breath. Faded yet still visible scars mar her father’s skin. Ugly, dark lines zigzag across his wrists and up his arms. 

“Yes, Annabelle,” says Dan, his voice barely above a whisper. Tears glimmer in his eyes. “I used to self-harm. I struggled with self-doubt, the future...so much, just like you. I had no idea what I wanted to do. I had no idea how to be happy. I was depressed, anxious, friendless, without a path. I...I wanted to die.”

Annabelle is silent. She has never seen her father like this before nor has she heard this story.

“But a very good person entered my life who turned everything around.”

“Phil, right?”

“Yeah.” He smiles. “Phil. Amazingphil. Phil Lester saved my life. He was my first and only best friend. Still is, honestly. He saw my scars, my self-hatred, and pulled me out of it. All by himself. He made me so strong by helping me learn how to accept myself. He taught me happiness.” Dan takes her hands and flips them over, baring her wrists. A single angry red line runs across one wrist. He lifts it up to his face and kisses it gently.

“I believe you can be strong, too, Annie, and choose happiness.”

She’s crying again, only this time, she has hope. Hope that she will be all right, that she will find strength, that she will be able to be happy again. 

“I’m sorry, Dad,” she whimpers. “For...f-for cutting…”

He hugs her tightly, fiercely. “You have nothing to apologize for, darling. I know that it’s hard to talk to parents, but just know that you should always talk to me about things like this.”

“Yeah...Thanks, Dad.” Annabelle rests her head on her dad’s chest. They stay in each other’s embrace for a little while more, till they hear the front door open. 

“Hey, everyone!” Phil’s cheerful call comes from the foyer.

“Phil!” Annabelle scrambles off of Dan and runs to greet him. Loud laughter rings out and Dan smiles. He walks to the doorway leading to the front of the house and leans against the wall, grinning at the two. 

Phil looks up and sees Dan, his face splitting into a radiant smile. “Hey, Dan! How’ve you and the lady been?”

“Good, good, as you can see.” He smiles back easily. “How was your family trip to South Korea?” 

“Oh, man, it was the best thing ever! I’ll have to tell you all about it.” He notices Dan’s sleeves are rolled up still and the long scab on Annabelle’s wrist. He grabs the girl.

“Annabelle, love, what happened?”

“It’s...a long story,” she says.

“I have time.” He takes her hand and leads them back into the living room. As his daughter explains to his best friend her struggles and how Dan helped her, Dan feels Phil’s hand slip into his. His thumb lightly caresses his scars and battle wounds and Dan smiles.

  
This is true happiness.

**Author's Note:**

> BONUS:   
> "Hey, why don't we watch some of your dad's old videos so you can find out just how much you have in common?"
> 
> "OH MY GOD PHILIP MICHAEL LESTER DON'T YOU DARE THIS IS MY CHILD I DO NOT WISH FOR HER TO GO BLIND WHAT THE FRICK ARE YOU DOING SHUT THE LAPTOP OH GODDDDDDDDDDD"


End file.
